Renovating the Negative

by Jimmy Lisotto

Image credit: Benjamin DeYoung on Unsplash

When depression strikes,

The foundation weakens. 

My mind becomes an enemy,

Not a friend. 

Distorted thinking 

Wears me down

With its vicious, venomous loop. 

A murky haze of malaise

Blankets the mind,

Every step through viscous sludge.

When the fog rolls in, 

I go to my toolbox,

Battered, yet still useful. 

The rugged chisel

Chips away at the lies,

The pitted crowbar

Pries loose the darkness, 

While the well-worn scraper

Shaves off twisted thoughts. 

Retraining my brain

Is a frequent task,

Renovating the negative

Into a positive. 

I have come to realize

Over the years 

That the churning maelstrom

Cannot be contained. 

I have to uncork the bottle

And let the dark shadows rise. 

Whether verbal or written, 

Expression is my key

To a safe release. 

When I can do this,

I wrench free of the sinking sand

And plant a foot

On solid ground.

***

Jimmy Lisotto

Jimmy Lisotto is a poet in New Hampshire. He has previously been published in Agape Review, Solid Food Press, Bee The Foundation, Arlijo, Valiant Scribe, Sage-ing, and Faith On Every Corner, among others. He believes that poetry is a medium that can connect people from all walks of life. He can be found on Facebook and Instagram.